The Liberty Rifles and 1st Section hosted a living history program and preservation fundraiser on the Chancellorsville battlefield representing Company E, 37th North Carolina Infantry and a section of Battery H, 1st U.S. Artillery.

Impression Guidelines:
37th North Carolina Infantry, May 1863

The 37th North Carolina State Troops (NCST) was formed in November of 1861 at High Point, North Carolina. The unit was assigned to Brigadier General Lawrence Branch's Brigade and, following a short stint in New Bern, NC, was transferred to the Army of the Potomac (soon to be the Army of Northern Virginia) where they would take part in nearly every major battle in the Eastern Theater.  Raised from the counties of Gaston, Mecklenburg, Union, Alexander, Allegheny, Ashe, Watauga, and Wilkes, then men that made up the 37th were from two distinct geographical and cultural regions of the Old North State.  Seven of the ten companies in the regiment came from the state’s notoriously anti-secession western counties (Ashe, Watauga, Allegheny, Wilkes, and Alexander) with particularly low slave populations--5, 2.1, 5.8, 8.3 and 10.2 percent respectively. The remaining three companies (from Gaston, Mecklenburg, and Union) lived among higher slave populations--24, 38.3, and 20.2 percent.

The Spring of 1862 found Branch's Brigade in Virginia and in AP Hill's famous Light Division, where they would take an active part in the Seven Days action.  They would later fight at Cedar Mountain, Second Manassas, and Sharpsburg where their brigade commander would be killed.  James H. Lane would be promoted to Brigadier General and command the brigade through the fighting at Fredericksburg, and eventually Chancellorsville.  Twenty-eight-year-old Colonel William M. Barber, Lt. Col. John B. Ashcraft, and Major William Morris would command the 37th NCST at Chancellorsville.  Command of Company E fell to Captain William T. Nicholson.  Captain Nicholson's company would enter the Chancellorsville Campaign well clothed by the state of North Carolina as well as from Central Government stores via the Richmond Clothing Bureau (particularly shirts, pants, shoes, and socks), The 37th was armed with predominantly .58 caliber rifle muskets, as well as a number of .69 caliber smoothbores. Each man had a knapsack. As veterans of 15 different engagements, they well accustomed to marching and fighting in Virginia.  

Please see Michael C. Hardy's The Thirty Seventh North Carolina Troops for additional information.

 
 

CLOTHING:

All clothing must be made with proper construction techniques, correct patterns, and 100% natural fiber cloth to closely mimic original goods.

Coat/Jacket:

  • North Carolina issue jacket of grey or brown jeans is preferred.

  • Richmond Clothing Bureau “Type 2” jackets made of vegetable dyed grey or greyish brown jeans are acceptable.

Pants:

  • Richmond Clothing Bureau pants made of yarn dyed logwood jeans.

  • Confederate military pants made of grey or brown jeans.

Shirts:

  • Confederate issue shirt made of cotton osnaburg.

  • Plain citizen’s shirt made of wool flannel or printed cotton.

  • *Avoid overrepresented checked cotton “homespun” shirts if at all possible.

Headgear:  

  • Citizen’s hat.

  • North Carolina issue forage caps of domestic jeans.

  • Richmond Clothing Bureau kepis of domestic jeans.

Footwear:

  • Confederate, U.S. Army, or citizens shoes or boots are acceptable.



BAGGAGE:  LIGHT MARCHING ORDER!

Knapsack:

  • Richmond Arsenal (“Kibler” style) knapsack

  • Imported British knapsack

  • U.S. Army knapsack

  • *Knapsacks are very strongly encouraged, as the entire regiment was equipped with them at Chancellorsville, and wore them into action. The three types noted above are the only acceptable knapsacks for this event.

Blanket:

  • Confederate issue and citizen’s blankets are preferred, and U.S. Army blankets are acceptable.

Ground Cloth:

  • U.S. Army gum blankets or oilcloths are equally acceptable.

  • None.

Shelter Half:

  • None. Fly Tens will be available for the company if needed.

Haversack:

  • Confederate or U.S. Army haversacks are both acceptable. Confederate bags must be plain cotton or painted cloth, copied off of an original, and be appropriate for 1863. Confederate haversacks that are likely of government-make, such as the “Neal” or “Goulding” bags, are preferred.

Canteen:

  • Tin drum canteen.

  • Wood “Gardner” canteen.

  • Refurbished U.S. Army canteen, ideally with a split leather strap.



EQUIPMENT:

All equipment shall be high quality reproductions in terms of construction and materials used.  

Accoutrements:

  • Confederate issue accoutrements with provenance to the Army of Northern Virginia are preferred, with this being a good opportunity to wear Richmond Arsenal painted cloth accoutrements. Imported British accoutrements and U.S. Army accoutrements are acceptable.

  • *Note that the regiment’s 2nd Quarter 1862 Ordnance Return shows a great majority of the regiment wore their cartridge boxes with a sling.

 

ARMS:

All arms and bayonets shall be in EXCELLENT working order, clean, functioning, and safe.

  • Model 1855 Rifle Musket, Model 1861 Rifle Musket, or Enfield Rifle Musket.

  • A handful of Model 1816 muskets converted to percussion and Model 1842 muskets are acceptable.

  • *The 37th North Carolina was well supplied with bayonets, and approximately 1/3 of their weapons included a sling.



ADDITIONAL ITEMS

Any personal items must be original or accurate reproductions of period items. “Old timey” jugs, Mason jars, or other items are prohibited. Cell phones, modern tobacco, lighters, or any other anachronistic items are wholly unacceptable.

We are placing high expectations for personal appearance and behavior upon the participants of Fight Your Guns to the Death. Modern haircuts, ponytails, modern underwear, modern socks, modern glasses, and inauthentic or inappropriate kit, etc., are unacceptable. As rations will be issued, all participants are expected to arrive with an empty haversack and not bring any food of their own into the event.